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Michael is a biology graduate of the UMaine system. He likes to spend his free time hiking and defending science, though not usually at the same time. Contrary to popular (but not scientific) belief, the positive and appropriate perception of science is undermined by religion, alternative medicine, the U.S. education system, and most science journalists.

The activists rallied Saturday at Augusta’s St. Michael School and later marched to the State House to trumpet the anti-abortion cause. Gov. Paul LePage, an abortion opponent, joined them for part of the rally, which was organized by the Maine Right to Life Committee.

St Michael’s School is where the last Maine governor, Baldacci, sent his children. As it happens, back when it was known as St. Mary’s School, I also received a big hunk of my education there. I never saw Baldacci. But then, he wasn’t the sort of governor to say he believed one thing one day and another thing another day. At least not this blatantly.

And LePage’s handlers in all this? Not very good so far.

Asked Saturday whether the Maine Right to Life Committee represented a special interest, [Dan] Demeritt said special interests inevitably would end up on LePage’s schedule.

“This isn’t about politics,” he said of Saturday’s rally. “This is about supporting a group that’s worked very hard to make sure that life is a choice that everybody can make.”

What about supporting groups that have worked very hard to make sure a chance at equality is possible for people who are actually alive? Or maybe giving black people as a group the time of day in Maine isn’t something political advantageous enough for LePage.

Atheism as a movement faces a number of issues. There is, of course, the fact that it is a purely descriptive position; it isn’t easy to gather together people with varying worldviews and philosophies. Then there’s the public vilification. If we’re to believe the attacks, atheists are arrogant and closed-minded and intolerant and bigoted and all sorts of other nasty things that are really just code for “I don’t like that atheists disagree with me”. And there are a whole host of other impediments to letting people know we exist. (Hell, even saying that we’re a part society is often received with foaming vitriol.) But one of the biggest issues I see is that of moving goal posts.

When atheists look at a specific belief to point out its flaws, why, that isn’t what most Christians believe! Or when atheists point to a widely believed idea in America’s dominant religion, why, that isn’t what True Christians believe! Or when atheists criticize so-called sophisticated theology, why, that’s just what one Christian believes!